agriculture

Pre-Agricultural Food Procurement

Pre-Agricultural Food Procurement

People gathered, fished, and hunted for food before agriculture due to the inability to grow their own food.

Tools and Fire in Primitive Hunting

Tools improved hunting effectiveness, while fire enabled controlled burnings and cooking, aiding in hunting strategies.

Agriculture

Purposeful growing of crops and raising livestock to produce food, feed, and fiber, crucial for human survival.

Plant Domestication

Farmers select best seeds for planting, leading to larger and hardier crops; first occurred in the Fertile Crescent.

Root Crops vs Seed Crops

Root crops are grown from a plant's root, while seed crops are grown from seeds, with seed crops lasting longer without planting.

Agriculture's Impact on Civilizations

Agriculture increased food security, allowing settlements to form, job specialization, and enhanced trade.

Animal Domestication

Adapting wild animals for human use; first domesticated around 8000 BCE in the Fertile Crescent.

Subsistence Farming

Self-sufficient agriculture on a small scale, emphasizing local food production over trade.

Shifting Cultivation

Agricultural practice involving clearing land and moving to new areas, impacting villagers by necessitating new settlements.

Second Agricultural Revolution

1700s-1800s advancements in technology, livestock breeding, and seed production to boost food output and manufacturing.

Columbian Exchange

Movement of animals, plants, and diseases between continents, influencing an unequal exchange due to exploitation.

Third Agricultural Revolution (Green Revolution)

Utilizing engineered seeds, irrigation, and fertilizers to enhance crop production, benefiting countries like Mexico and the Philippines.

Concerns with Genetically Engineered Foods

Scientists worry about health and environmental impacts; subsistence farmers struggle to compete with GE crops.

Agricultural Developments in Gambia

Transformation of wetlands for year-round rice production altered traditional land use.

Women in Agriculture

60% of women in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia work in agriculture; transition to commercial agriculture increased female labor dependence.

Cadastral System

Land survey method defining ownership and property lines, often using satellites for accuracy.

Von Thunen Model

Illustrates transportation costs to market, showing proximity of perishable goods to cities and non-perishables farther away.

Nucleated Settlements

Nucleated settlements are clustered, optimizing land use for farming, while dispersed settlements are spread out.

Houses in Social Status

Houses reflect wealth and status; functional differentiation in farm villages assigns different functions to buildings.

Commercial Agriculture vs Monoculture

Commercial agriculture focuses on selling crops, while monoculture relies on a single agricultural commodity for production.

Food Security

The greatest threat facing productive farmland, encompassing production-consumption overlap, land use, and price fluctuations.

Food Desert

Areas lacking nutritious food availability, often found in low-income neighborhoods with limited grocery stores.

Urban Agriculture

Cultivation of land or livestock in small urban areas like rooftops or converted brownfields.

Colonization Impact

Colonial powers changed land use by forcing subsistence farmers to produce cash crops and promoted commercial farming.

Shifting Cultivation Criteria

Successful sustainment requires an abundance of land and a relatively sparse population.

Cyrus McCormick

Innovator who designed a mechanical reaper, revolutionizing farm production and reducing the need for human labor.

Triangular Trade Network

Trading system between the Americas, Europe, and Africa, involving the exchange of goods, including slaves.

Agricultural Revolutions

Donald Baker described three revolutions focusing on societal changes, technological innovations, and genetic engineering.

Green Revolution Failure

Despite increased production, it led to pollution, input intensification, and challenges for small-scale farmers.

Von Thunen's Theory

The theory still holds true regarding the connection between land use and transportation costs.

Social Stratification

The size and quality of housing reflect social status and wealth, indicating social stratification.

Cold Chain

Process of harvesting unripe produce and ripening it during transport by controlling temperatures.

United Fruit Company

Illustrates the link between economic and political motivations through close ties with influential individuals.

Wine Vineyards

Predominantly found in Mediterranean climates due to ideal grape-growing conditions.

Intensive Agriculture

Intensive practices use high-cost inputs, while extensive practices rely more on human labor.

Luxury Crop

Coffee, once the main luxury crop, is a non-essential crop bought for pleasure rather than survival.

Fair Trade Campaign

A movement to support certified coffee producers by reducing the number of actors in the supply chain.

Agribusiness

Business providing services to support agriculture, impacting industries like poultry by supplying chicks and feed.

World Hunger Factors

Poverty traps, lack of agricultural investment, climate, war, market instability, and food wastage contribute to world hunger.

Food Deserts

Areas with limited access to affordable, nutritious food, often found in low-income neighborhoods with few grocery stores.

Jared Diamond vs Carl Sauer

• Jared says they went there because there was too much competition for wild berries/crops so they will grow it for themselves

• Carl said it was so that people didn’t have to go out, people could do other stuff)